New Jobs and Training on Offer Through SERC Partnership With ASOS

SERC is very pleased to be able to invite applications for an Assured Skills training programme which the College is delivering with online fashion retailer, ASOS.

The international retail giant is to establish a tech hub in Belfast, introducing more than 180 jobs. Of those people, 130 of those people will participate in the Assured Skills Academy provided by SERC, creating a supply of staff specially trained in data engineering.

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons welcomed the news as an important boost for the NI economy:

“The announcement by ASOS is a clear vote of confidence for Northern Ireland and our strong appeal as an investment location. The development of the new Belfast Tech Hub and the creation of over 180 jobs represents a significant investment in Northern Ireland by the company. In return, our talent base will provide ASOS with the high- quality engineering resources it needs to deliver its international growth plans.

“Once in place, the new jobs will contribute almost £6.5million in additional annual salaries to the local economy. The first Assured Skills Academy with ASOS, focusing on Data Engineering and being delivered by South Eastern Regional College, is open for applications now – I urge anyone who is interested and eligible to apply for this exciting opportunity.”

Speaking about the company’s decision to invest in Northern Ireland, Nick Beighton, CEO, ASOS, said:

“As a rapidly growing business at the forefront of online retailing, we’re continually investing in our technology capabilities. Our new hub will provide us with cutting-edge tech expertise to support future growth. Belfast has a wealth of tech talent and we’re excited to be establishing a permanent base in such a vibrant city.”

“The new Belfast hub will be operational in early 2022, with 52 dedicated roles in the first year, growing to 184 by 2024, with recruitment already under way. Recruiting across a range of levels and job functions, including engineering and data science, the creation of the new hub in Belfast is part of the wider strategic plans for ASOS’ tech team, which will enable the team to support the continued growth and expansion of ASOS.”

To help secure this project, Invest Northern Ireland has been working with ASOS since 2017, showcasing all that Northern Ireland has to offer. The agency has offered almost £1.2million of support towards the new software engineering roles and the Department for the Economy is funding pre-employment Assured Skills Academy training to the value of almost £1million over three years.

Ken Webb, Principal and Chief Executive of SERC, added:

“This announcement demonstrates the status of Northern Ireland as an ideal location for business growth, based largely on highly skilled population, underpinned by some of the best educational facilities in the UK. The new roles will offer a range of opportunities for software engineers and analysts, development opportunities for those in the early stages of their tech careers and will provide exciting pathways for people to join Northern Ireland’s digital workforce. We very much look forward to developing the Assured Skills Academy and continuing our contribution to Northern Ireland’s economic growth.”

Applications for the ASOS Data Engineering Assured Skills Academy are open until 5.00pm on Friday 22 October 2021. Training will commence for successful applicants on Monday 10 January 2022.

Experience is not required but applicants must be at least 18 years of age and eligible to work in the UK.

More information and details on how to apply are available at http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/assured-skills